Wash vent for ash-conveyer systems



v April 5, 19 7.

' 1,623,079 C. F. ZIMMERMANN v.

WASH VENT FOR ASH CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed Jgm s, 1922 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 WW 1% (w.

il 5 1927. Apr I c. F. ZIMMERMANN WASH VENT FOR ASH CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 5, 1922 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,523,019 PATENT OFFICE.

CARL F. ZIMMERMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CGNVEY ORS CORP-ORA: TION OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WASH VENT FOR ASZI-CQNVEYEB SYSTEMS Application filed January 3, 1922. Serial No. 526,576.

This invention relates to means for removmg dust, soot and sim lar matter from the gases which escape from the ash receptacle of an ash conveyer system.

The invention is especially adapted for use in connection with ash conveyer appa+ ratus wherein steam or air under pressure is discharged into the ash conduit in the direction of movement of the ashes, as by an ejector nozzle. The steam acts to create apartial vacuum which may draw the ashes through partof the conduit, and through its expansion produces a pressure which forces the ashes through the remaining part of the conduit;

In such systems, large quantities of air are drawn in along with the ashes and hot gases. There is, therefore, a large volume of steam, highly heated gases and air constantly being forced into the ash receiving receptacle.

Some means must be employed for permitting the air and gases to escape into the atmosphere, but as large quantities of ash, dust, soot, etc. are suspended in the hot gases and steam at'the time they are discharged into the ash receptacle, means must be provided to remove the dust, etc. from the gases before they are permitted to escape.

The means for removing the dust should be so constructed as not to produce back pressure in the ash receptacle or conduit, as this would seriously interfere with the movement of the ashes through the conduit. Also, the water used in washing and cooling the gases and air should not be permitted to drain into the ash receptacle, as this makes the ashes very hard to remove.

The. object of the present invention is to provide an improved wash vent for an ash conveyor system and baflie plate arrangements for use therein which shall be compact and readily assembled. One feature of the invention is the large radiating surfaces provided whereby the steam is quickly condensed, and the hot gases cooled, thus tending to reduce the velocity of movement of the gases through the vent due to the rapid. decrease in volume of the steam and gases.

. other.

radiating surfaces in sections or grids, so that the amount of radiating surface can be readily increased or diminished as condi-' tions demand. i

Another feature related to the one just mentioned-is the arrangement of the baflie plates in these sections or grids so that the grids may be merely loosely nested on top of each A still further feature is the manner of forming these sections or grids of substan tially fiat notched strips which may be stored in quantity in separate strips but may be readily assembled by merely fitting the notched strips together when it is desired to use thegrids.

Other features and advantages will appear from time to time as the description of the invention progresses. i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a cross section through the ash receptacle with the ash conduitleading thereinto, and the wash vent of the present invention 'i'lountod thereon;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the vent;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3&3 of FigureQ; v

Figure 4 illustrates one end of one form of strip used in making the grid, showing the inclined notches therein; a V

Figure 5 shows one end of the other type of strip used in forming the grid with the notches in it, y

Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of the grid in which the inclined plates of the 7 grid are all set in parallel relation; and v Figure 7 illustrates an arrangement of the grids different from that shown in Figures 2 and 8. I

Referring now to the drawings, 12 indicates the ash receptacle of the system. 11x tending into the receptacle 12 at one side thereof is the ash chute 13 through which the ashes may be forced. in any desired manner, but preferably by means of steam or air an der pressure. 14 indicates the target board of the ash receptacle against which the ashes impinge when forced from the conduit 13,

The top'of. the ash receptacle is Provided with an .openingas indicated at 15,v Positioned over the opening 15 is the washing apparatus or wash vent 16 of the present invention. The wash vent is supported on the opening 15 at the top of the ash receptacle.

The receptacle of the wash vent may be formed of any suitable material, but in the present embodiment, it is disclosed as being formed of metal. As the material and manner of forming this receptacle forms no part of the present invention, it will. be only briefly described in the present specification.

The wash vent receptacle consist primarily of a box-like base portion 21 which in the present embodiment is shown as rectangular in cross section. and mounted thereon and communicating therewith is a vertically extending rectangular shell The shell or conduit 22 extends the full width of the base receptacle 21, but is of materially less width than the base member 21 is long.

The base member 21 is provided at the bottom thereof and on opposite sides with the channel members or drains 23 and 2t which extend across the entire width of the base member 21. Between the inner sides 25 and 26 of the drain channels is an opening 2'? through which the gases, etc, from the ash receptacle may pass into the wash vent. Positioned over the opening 27 is a barrier or battle 28. The barrier 28 extends from side to side of the base member 21 and is formed with oppositely sloping sides, the edges of which overlie the channels 23 and 24 respectively.

Extending outwardly from the upper edges of the side wall of the shell is the flange 29. Overlying the top of the shell 22 and extending outwardly beyond the outer edges of the flange 29 is the top mem-- ber 30 having at its outer the downwardly extending flange 31. Secured to the inner side of the lower edges of the flange 31 is a gutter or channel member The entire structure comprising the top 30, flange 31 and gutter 32 is supported by the brackets 33, each of which has one end Fixed to the gutter 32, and the other end secured to the side walls of the shell 22. The gutter 32 is provided on opposite sides with the drain or stand pipes 34, each of which con'nnunicatcs at one end with the gutter 32, and at its op posite end with the interior of the shell 22.

Arranged substantially centrally oi the top member 30 is a sprinkler nozzle 35 to which water may be supplied from the pipe 36.

The shell 22 on opposite sides thereot is provided with the bracket members or supports 87 which in the present embodiment are shown as angle iron strips having one flange secured to the side wall of the shell 22, the other flange extending horizontally inwardly from the side of the shell.

The brackets 3'? are provided to support the baffle plate grid or grids. Each battle plate grid consists of two sets of intersecting plates or strips, meter-ably of sheet metal. As shown in Fig. 2, the plates 38 of one set are inclined to the plane of the grid, while the plates 39 ot' the other set extend substantially at right angles to the plane of the grid, as shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 5, the plates 38 are provided with transversely extending; notches 40, here being as many notches 40 in each plate 38 as there are plates 39 in the grid, each notch being arranged to receive one of the plates 39. As shown in Fig. 4, each of the plates 3%) is provided with a plurality of inclined notches Each of the notches ell is arranged to receive one of the intersectirp strips 38. in other words, the strips 38 and 39 are each provided with as many notches as there are intersecting strips, and the notches in any two strips at their point of intersection are arranged to co-0perate so that the notch in each receives a portion of the other strip.

Due to this construction, the plates or strips 38 and 89 may be carried in quantity merely as strips, and when a grid is desired. it may be readily assembled without any particular tools merely by fitting the strips of the two sets together.

Due to the that the strips 38 are incl ned while the strips 55.) extend substantially at right. angles to the plane oi the grid. the cd 'es ot the strips 39 do not extend to the cr ;e t the strips 39. If it is tound that one battle plate grid is insutiicicnt, other grrids be added merely by nesting them on top of the lowermost grid, which in turn is supported on the bracket n'ieinbers 37.

In Fig. 2, two barile plate grids are shown, one nested on top ou the other, with the plates 38 and 39 of the two grids QXlQHtllDQ: in the same direction. .Vherc the shell 22 substantially square in cross section, it desired the plates and 39 of alternate grids may be arranged substantially at ri ht audes to each other, as indicated in Fig.

In Fig. 2. the plates on opposite sides oi the center or the I d are shown as being inclined in opposi 0 directions. In Fig. 6, a modification oi this arrangement is i which all the inclined plates 42 of i shown as inclined in the same direction. i r hen using? battle plate grids, such as shown in G, alternate grids may be reversed so that the plates thereof will be inclined in pposite directions. Thus, the hot gases, etc. pas 1g up between the plates of the l we? grid will be caused to impinge directinst the plates or the as end grid. =hird id is employed, it may be a sed so tln. the plates 4-2 thereof will incline in the same direction as those ot the lowermost grid, so that the ses passing upd y between the plates 42 ot the second c rid will impinge d rectly ainst the plates or the third grid.

Doc to thetormation of the erids of it intersectiuq so that the rising gases mast I thro; the openings between the plates, the

column.

of gas is broken up into a number of small scrubbed. This results .in a very rapid lowering of the tempe 'ature of and the rapid removal of dust, etc. from the rising gas.

At the bottom of the gutters 23 and 2 1 are the drain pipes 43 and 44, respectively which are arranged to conduct the water to some point remote from. the ash receptacle 12.

The operation of the wash vent'is as follows:

The hot gases, steam and air which may be highly charged with ash dust, soot, etc. pass upwardly through the opening 27 into the base member 21. The upward rush of the gases is immediately retarded by engagement with the barrier 28 which will be maintained in a semi-cool condition by reason of its upper surfaces being continually wet by the water falling thereon from the spray nozzle 85, and also by the condensed steam, which may be gathered on the battle plates 38 and 39. The hot gases, upon striking the barrier 28, will be deflected so that they will pass out under the lower edges of the barrier and through the streams of water which are,

running from the caves of the barrier.

The gases in their upward movement next encounter the battle plate grids comprising the plates 38 and 39. In this upward move ment, the gases obviously encounter the water from the spray nozzle 35 and also the water of condensation which is dripping from the plates 38 and 39. As the plates 88 and 39 are maintained wet by the washing spray, a large part of the steam will be condensed into water and the hot gases will be materially cooled, thus causing a rapid shrinkage in the volume of the gases passing through the vent. This tends to greatly reduce the speed with which the gases are traveling.

If more than one of the'batlie'plate grids is employed, the gases will pass through the succeeding plates with substantially the same effect as resulting from their passage through the first plate. As the plates of the various grids in the arrangement shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7 are positioned at an angle to each other, the gases are caused to impinge directly against the plates of the successive grids. Upon leaving the uppermost battle plate grid, the gases pass upwardly through the spray from the nozzle 35 until they engage the top of the vent.

Thus the gas is tn'i'iught The gases then are deflected outwardly and pass downwardly between the flange 31- and the. outeredge oi the flange 29,-thcnce in wardly over the gutter 32 and downwardly and out between the gutter 32 and the sides of the shell 7 Due to the fact that the barrier or baffle 28 is arranged with its two "des oppositely inclined, the water passing downwardly through the baiiie plate grids will be caused todrain from the lower edges or caves of this barrier into the gutters 23 and 2%.. Also due to the inclined arrangement of the parts of the barrier 28, the water of condensation which collects on the under surface of the. barrier will also drain to the. lower edges thereof and fall into the gutters 23 and Undercertain conditions, the moisture in the gases entering thewash vent will not be entirely condensed by the time the gases reach the top of the vent. Therefore,a certain amount of water of condensation will form on the top 30, flange 29 and side flange 31. This water of condensation will, for the most part, drain into the gutter 32 and will be discharged through the pipes 34; into the interior of the wash vent shell 22. Thus it will be seen that practically all of the spray water and water of condensation in the wash vent will ultimately drain into the gutters 23 and 2d from which it will be carried. away by the pipe 45, thus preventing water finding its way into the ash receptacle 12.

Although in the above description, certain definite embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that further modifications of the device are contemplated, and that the invention is to be limited merely by the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a bafiie plate grid comprising a first series of plates with their lengths extending in the plane of the grid and with their widths extending in spaced parallel planes at right angles to the plane of the grid, each of said plates having inclineil slots out along one edge of and sloping away from the center of the plate, a second series of plates extending cross-wise of said first series, each of said second series having slots out along one edge of the plate, the slots of said second series engaging with the slots ot'said first series, each of said second series of plates being proportioned so that one longitudinal edge thereof terminates short of the adjacent edges of the first series of plates, and a second baflie plate grid disposed in a plane parallel with said first baffle plate grid and substantially contacting therewith, the termination of the longitudinal edges of aid inclined plates affording a plurality of transverse passageways between said first and second grids.

2. A baliie plate grid comprising two sets of substantially flat intersecting plates, the plates of one set being arranged at substantially right angles to the plane of said grid, the plates of the other set being inclined to the plane of said grid, the inclined plates in one half of the grid sloping in one direction and those in the other halt sloping in the opposite direction.

3, A ballie plate grid comprising a first series of plates with their lengths extending in the plane of the grid and their Widths extending in spaced parallel planes transverse to the plane of the grid, each of said plates having inclined slots cut therein, said slots being inclined away from the centers of said plates, and a second series of plates extending cross-Wise of said first series and engaging in said inclined slots each of said second series of plates being proportioned so that one longitudinal edge thereof terminates short of the adjacent edges of the first series of plates.

at. A ball e plate grid comprising two sets of substantially flat intersecting and interlocking plates, each plate of each set being provided with notches to receive the plates of the other set respectively, the plates of one set being at substantially right angles to the plane of the grid, the plates of the other set being inclined to the plane of and away from the center line of the grid.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of December, 1921.

CARL F. ZIMMERMANN. 

